It' summer here and we are having a Xmas lunch. Glazed ham will be the centre piece with fresh potatoes, snow peas and lovely salads.The sweet / citrus glaze and the saltiness of the ham is a perfect foil for Riesling, which will be nicely chilled. I am also taking a bottle of Grasshopper Rock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010, which is silky and sublime.I have a couple of bottles of bubbly too; Champagne Lanvin, and a cheapie New Zealand methode traditionelle Rosé.

Xmas Eve we are having seafood, but not sure what yet as it depends what looks good that morning when we go shopping. But no doubt there will be a Chardonnay opened. Or two!

Christmas Eve will have 2001 ESJ CA Syrah for the main course. I had a bottle a couple of weeks ago and it was in that perfect stage where the wine is fully open and gushing pleasure, texturally, flavor-wise, and spiritually. Am hoping the next bottles show just as well!

Switching from our usual Burgundy to a California cab with beef rib roast Christmas Day. No doubt a champagne will play a role as will Pappy Van Winkle after dinner. I expect something will be open almost all the time.

Post-Christmas eve brunch service at the restaurant, we are planning on heading out for Indian food for a Christmas eve dinner and will most likely bring a couple Rieslings - the Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirchheck Riesling Spätlese and the Strub Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Spätlese. Christmas Day will be celebrated with teetotalers, so will have to wait and open a bottle of something nice when we get home.

Too soon to be precise. I need to know exactly how the chef will be preparing the food before choosing. Being an Anglo-Belgian family we have celebratory dinners on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The former is traditionally the evening for celebrating Christmas in Belgium and Germaine regularly reminds me that she was completely disorientated at her first Christmas with my family in England when nothing happened until Christmas Day.

There will certainly be Champagne and port as well as red and white table wines. I have a Bollinger 1996 RD and some Taylor's 1977 which need drinking soon but there are other candidates as well.

Staying in town for a quiet Christmas this year so nothing too momentous. I plan to open a Sauternes on Christmas Eve (375 ml.) and will have some on Christmas Day. Will also open a Yamhill Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir from Oregon to go with smoked ham and au gratin potatoes. I like to celebrate New Year's Eve with Tawny Port rather than Champagne and will probably open a Sandeman Tawny Port.

(We had a ladies' lunch for a church group the Tuesday before Christmas and I made a mulled cider--without alcohol--that was very tasty. May do it again on a smaller scale for home consumption between Christmas and New Year's.)

Okay, have more of an idea now. Since one of my guests is a Canadian couple, I'll open an 02 Mission Hills Onoculous for the main course in their honor. A La Follette chardonnay will go with the first course which are gorgonzola and rosemary souffles, and pinot would be a great choice for the beet and salmon salad that goes next and before the main, a good progression. Haven't picked one out yet.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jon Peterson wrote:Switching from our usual Burgundy to a California cab with beef rib roast Christmas Day. No doubt a champagne will play a role as will Pappy Van Winkle after dinner. I expect something will be open almost all the time.

In honor of my daughter who is home for the holidays (just before moving to Portland, Oregon) we had a 2007 Maysara "Asha" Pinot Noir with clay pot rosemary chicken, homegrown mashed potatoes, homegrown Knight shell peas, and homegrown carrots made with the chicken. It was a lovely meal, and the pinot reflected the Oregon vintage. Maysara usually has a deep blueberry, dark cherry vein in its wines with a richness to the flavors, with good acidity, and a certain leanness which I like. The 2007 was quite good but not stellar as the leanness of the vintage came through a bit more than I'd like. I preferred the "estate cuvee" in this vintage. If you haven't tried Maysara and its wines from the bio-dynamically farmed Momtazi estate vineyard, I'd recommend them.